Low Frequency Noise as a Tool for OCDs Reliability Screening

With the rapid development of the information and science, more and more newly semiconductor devices are used in the electronic equipments or systems, and so is the Optoelectronic Coupled Devices (OCDs). Because of excellent characteristics of it such as small size, long life, non-contact mode and strong anti-interference, OCDs can replace many kinds of devices e.g. relays, transformers, choppers when used in switching circuits, A/D conversion, remote transmission, over-current protection and so on. The reliability of OCDs is very important in numerous applications. It has draw great attention in switching circuit, isolation circuit, analog-digital converter, logic circuit, etc. However in some high reliability fields, such as navigation and communication of the satellite, it is necessary to make sure of the reliability of the OCDs. In the past, the reliability screening of the OCDs contained ageing experiments; physical analysis at high and low temperature as well as static testing which are either expensive, time-consuming or cannot separate the good ones from the bad ones. So some researchers proposed that using low frequency noise as a reliability indicator. From the ninety of the last century, we do the research of using noise as reliability screening of the OCDs and improve it continually. So in this paper, we will introduce how to use low frequency noise as a tool for OCDs reliability screening, and summarize what all we had done as well as the latest research.